In her time, she was fashion editor for The Sunday Times, penned successful erotic "bonk-buster" books, started a bistro, designed hats for hip fashion store Biba, was a judge at the Alternative Miss World contest from its outset, presided over orgies in New York, was a regular at the debauched and notorious Colony Club, was banned from BBC chat shows for swearing, and became a much-lauded designer and painter in avant garde circles in her later years; she counted numerous "counter-culture" characters such as Quentin Crisp, Andy Warhol, Mary Quant, Francis Bacon, Anita Pallenberg and The Communards' Sarah Jane Morris among her friends; and her myriad lovers included James Robertson Justice, George Melly, Anthony Shaffer, John Thaw, Bo Diddley, John Mortimer - and she snogged Louis Armstrong!
What a life dear Molly Parkin - who has very sadly departed for Fabulon, presumably to cause havoc - had!
We adored her...
She certainly was never afraid of portraying sex (nor performing it, by all accounts)! [photo: Rob Greig]
Divine and Molly Parkin, taken at the London premiere of 'The Alternative Miss World' at The Gate Cinema in Notting Hill in 1980.
Molly and me, photographed at Polari way back in 2010...
RIP Molly Noyle Parkin (née Thomas, 3rd February 1932 – 5th January 2026)
What a character! Mind you, quite a few of us were pushing the same boundaries...
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised your paths never crossed if you were in London in the Swinging 60s, Dinah! Jx
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